Well played England!! The youngsters done us proud. Goodbye Terry, Lampard, Beckham and farewell giving it large, kissing of rings and toiletry adverts. I can remember 1966. I was just 12 years old.
Until then, no real interest in football. Following season, Dad took bruv and I to Charlton vs Wolves. Charlton lost, and bruv was cheering Wolves (sibling rivalry!). Since then, we both enjoyed many years watching Wright, Curtis, Kinsey etc; and many of the following acts. Remember Ray Crawford, limbering up at about 2.40, before making his Charlton debut, looking across at us and waving. Gosh, we used to get there so early before a match!
I say to all, take encouragement from Young Englands achievements. At last, English football seems to have shown an open honesty, commitment, and togetherness.
I hope that the governing bodies take note, are aware of the interest, support and enthusiasm that has been created, and start cleansing English football. Time long overdue to rid our game of the extremely disturbed, self interested, greedy egoists that they have judged to be "fit and proper".
Last opportunity for saving our football? Our passion, our memories, our home towns, our heritage.
What do the other "customers" think? A chance for them to become fans again?
"If you ever see a post from WRICURKINCAM walk away and pretend you didn't. Only madness lies ahead. " = Henry Irving.
This World Cup we played as a team and in a progressive style (until perhaps this match), we maximised our capabilities
When you look back at 2002 to 2006 under Sven, the players back then were probably better, but they underachieved. You look at the names, Scholes, Gerrard, Lampard, Beckham, Joe Cole, Ashley Cole, Ferdinand, Campbell, Terry, Owen, Rooney etc
For me, England this tournament was the best ive seen. We may have had the easiest route, but this squad played with honour and as a unit, and with true pride in the badge which I havent seen in my lifetime and im very proud of our team for that. Well done lads.
I'm 30 so don't remember 1990 but agree with this.
Im 25 mate
Blimey. What was your England highlight before this tournament?
Beckham vs Greece was easily my favourite memory before this
Gutted. Devastated. Heart broken. And that's not even the half of it.
They were the better team tonight so well done to them. Overall they deserved to go to the final.
We had the opportunity to win it but various things stopped us. If we could have put our chances away early on the game could have been comfortable. A bit of fatigue and inexperience came in I think. They came out second half on fire and pinned us back. They doubled up on our wingbacks which gave them an overload in midfield. Our 3 worked hard to cover it but we needed to either change the system to match them or bring on fresh legs in CM much earlier. We couldn't make it happen and so it is.
Now isn't the time for ifs and looking at individual moments. These players have their all and each and every one of them are heros.
A side point - Lovren could have been give 5 yellow cards in the first half. Ref let him get away with a lot. Got the distinct impression he wasn't keep on booking anyone first half to not ruin the game. Not that it matters
Refs have been very lenient in this tournament, it's clearly what FIFA wanted as they all have let go fouls, dissent and diving which in the PL would have seen a yellow card.
Other than giving away the free kick which was a touch soft imo, modric again was absolutely top drawer.
Compare the tournament and knock-out experience of Croatia to England. That quality and game management showed.
No disappointment at all, just massively gutted.
First half hour or so was probably the best we've played all tournament and could easily have been 2 or 3 up. Typical case of if you don't take your chances, it more often than not comes back to bite you.
Final word on the standard of officiating. I won't say it's why we went out. Croatia simply were the better team. But the officiating was absolutely shocking.
My old man god bless him was never a fan of the early goal I could hear him shouting "too early" as Trippier smashed that kick in. Your early game plan does somewhat go out of the window when it happens.
Just got in - We did score too early - had chances to make it two which would have killed it but when we didn't take them we started to sit too deep and allow them to get back into it. It started towards the end of the first half and Roy Keane called it exactly right at half time! It was Basically what happened v Colombia. It is a young side and it will be better for the lesson even though it was a harsh one. I would have liked to have seen Southgate make a couple of changes before the Croatia goal - I felt it was coming. Just to get the message out to play more offensively. But Southgate has been terrific and deserves much credit.
My advice to England as they stand now, is develop these tactics further and try to win every game 3-0, not 1-0. When you take the lead against a side you are on top off, accept they will take risks and respond to that offensively as a chance to get a second, rather than allow it to work!
Heartbreaking for England, but they have a young team and a capable manager. Provided over-expectations based on the success of this tournament don't create too much pressure for them I think there will be semi-finals/finals ahead for this side.
Southgate is the big winner here. He engineered a semi final place for a limited squad in many ways. Some players like Trippier, Maguire and Pickford have had a fantastic tournament. Henderson, Stones, Kane and Walker had a decent tournament. Sterling did good runs in the last couple of matches but his lack of goals and assists is a problem. Lingard scored a great goal but missed at least another 5 chances. Rashford is still raw. Ali had a average time and Young's poor left foot is a issue when you play left back. Jones, Cahill, Welbeck and Vardy's career could be at an end ? Is Rose the answer at Left back ? Why did Gareth lose face with Loftus-Cheek ? Young Trent-Alexander is a talented RB Delph and Dier I feel the jury is out. Pope and Buckland will only get in if Pickford Is injured.
A side point - Lovren could have been give 5 yellow cards in the first half. Ref let him get away with a lot. Got the distinct impression he wasn't keep on booking anyone first half to not ruin the game. Not that it matters
Not to mention Mandzukic. Did you notice his eyes in the tunnel whilst they were waiting to take the field? Then after the goal, screaming into the camera? Something a little Marradonesque there, methinks!
"If you ever see a post from WRICURKINCAM walk away and pretend you didn't. Only madness lies ahead. " = Henry Irving.
I'm a bit pissed rn but also quite emotional, what a coincidence.
I've never been more proud of an England team in my lifetime (I'm 22 in a weekish).
This tournament has given me interest in the national side for the first time in years and I feel like we have a core group of players who actually want to give their all for the first time in my generation.
I'm not usually that patriotic but I'm so proud of what we've achieved at this World Cup and was close to tears when we lost. But despite that I feel that we have made great strides in actually being able to be competitive and get to the final of a major competition.
I feel so much pride for this team, almost as much as when we won League 1 with SCP and that says alot,
Anyways onwards and upwards ayyyy until we get knocked in the group stages of Euro 2020 by Lichtenstein!!!!!
Weaker opposition or not, semi finals exceeds pre tournament expectations and, as others have observed, they left it all out there tonight so you can’t really complain. In fact there are many things to be proud of about the way the team went about things.
BUT, tonight brought some of the same old technical flaws to the surface. There were signs even in the Tunisia game that our passing along the back three could be vulnerable to the press if the passing was not really sharp and accurate. Tonight there were too many sloppy passes that gave Croatia chances and a sense that we were not secure defensively. A sense which proved justified as England twice collectively switched off to allow Croatia to score.
In midfield, we still do not have a true playmaker and players who can reliably retain possession when given the hurry up by the opposition. Colombia exposed it a bit, but not as consistently as Croatia did.
England started well but the tide was turning from midway through the first half and Southgate was too slow to switch up the shape or add fresh legs to a desperately tiring midfield. I think Loftus-Cheek should have been introduced. Sticking Rashford on and just hitting it long was horribly unimaginative and not a befitting plan B for this otherwise we’ll prepared team to finish its run with.
YET, it all could have been so different. England didn’t create a whack load, but there were chances and for Harry Kane of all people.
Gutted but proud would be how I would say I feel right now.
This run has hopefully gone some way to restoring some belief, but it also should not distract from the fact England are still short of some fundamental things needed to win a major tournament. The best of this group are now experienced. Hopefully as the members of our successful U20 and U18 teams break through the best of them can be added to the squad and wthey can attack future tournaments with a deeper, better balanced squad to go with that renewed belief.
Last of all though. At least this World Cup has actually been fun, and at the end of the day that is what supporting a team should be above all else.
Weird start to the thing - the pub I was going to was full but a rival pub sent a stretch limo to take a bunch of us to Buzbys bar in Santa Monica. We were piling out when a huge roar from the pub told us we were one up. Wow. After that, the nerves quietly set in. We looked good in some parts, Croatia showed they wanted it too, and the final whistle came when we needed it, but the second half of extra time, we paid a huge Price for a bit of carelessness at the back and the dream died.
I had a long walk alone back to the hotel, and my interest in the world cup has eaporated. I hope we beat Belgium to go one better than Italia '90 as it's abut time we laid that to rest, but I really couldn't care less about the final, and probably won't watch it. I'll not point fingers at any of the squad - we got much further tan I expected and I hope we can build on this. But despite the fact I feel as if I was kicked hard in the gut this morning, it has been a great tournment all round, and also for us. I think @redmidland said earlier he couldn't listen to 'three lions' without a tear in the eye, and I feel the same way. But they did us proud, and we can hold our heads very high after that.
What a month, so many good moments with my mates that I’ll never forget. No expectations and we got to the last 4. After the first half they were much better than us, so no complaints. Roll on 2020
Can't be too dissappointed, as the better side won in the end, but that game was there for the taking and we blew it, due to a lack of experience and some individual errors.
Cross for the first goal should never have been allowed to come into the box, and Young was a good thirty metres out of position - once it did come in, then the ball needs to be attacked, but Walker was day dreaming, and that changed the game.
Second goal stemmed from a wild hack from Walker, and then Stones losing Mandjukic running in behind him - said before that small mistakes will cost you in the WC, and we made critical errors tonight.
With hindsight at around the hour mark, we could have taken off Henderson and Sterling, brought on Dier and Delp, switched to a 4-5-1 formation, and let them try to play round us, with Ali trying to play off Kane.
Can't really begrudge the Craotian's their success, they seem a pretty honest bunch compared to others, and I hope they do well in the final, but from what I have seen France will have too much for them all over the pitch, and a midfield trio of Kante, Pogba and Matuidi, will not be as easily over-run as ours was in the 2nd half tonight.
Thought the ref was poor. That cnut Lovrens should have been booked early in first half. His aggression shoould not be forgottenand when he fcuks for Liverpool again I will take pleasure in that!
Just recovered, I am gutted. In the end I would say Croatia were deserved winners, I thought before the game their midfield was too much for us and the second half confirmed it. They stretched us and had all the time in the world on the ball, was painful viewing at times.
I'm pretty pissed off at the officials, flagged offisde when we weren't? Throw in not given twice I think, two blatant fouls waved away, ball went out for a corner and not given. If I was the England manager I would want the officials to be looked into, I'm not trying to say they were corrupt but they were certainly incompetent and for a game of that magnitude they shouldn't be allowed to be near the pitch again.
A bit more negatives before the positive. Southgates lack of subs early on? It was clear Kane and Alli were shot, why not swap Kane for Vardy or Alli for RLC, both players good enough to step up and we needed fresh legs. I was also disappointed with Sterling coming off as I thought he was having a good game. I like Walker but if we want to progress we need to take him out of the side and play Trippier as a right back and have actual midfielders, problem is I guess is we really aren't spoilt for choice with midfielders, that said Hendo surprised me this tournament. I'll happily admit I was not his biggest fan but he did his bit, just comes back to the fact he doesn't do much with the ball, he can't get it forwards and with how we play we need someone to take that role. The last main thing that bothered me was the lack of fight and character in that game. First 45 mins we were the better team undeniably, next 75 what happened, no one seemed to want it, I only saw emotion from Pickford, none of the players were trying to gee eachother up, hardly anyone asking for the ball, lack of urgency. Maybe I'm asking too much but I would rather have gone out to a far superior side to eliminate all 'what ifs' than what happened. Croatia were beatable and now it's left question marks imo.
Anyway the positives. Pickford, top top keeper, could be looking at the #1 for ten years or more there, great shot stopper and love his passion. I don't want to go over the top but I think Stones and Maguire with the right coaching could be a world class centre back partnership, no concerns there anymore, Trippier is a top player too. Kane is Kane, he will be the main man for years. After that, I don't wanna sound negative cause I am proud of what they achieved in bringing positivity back to the national side, but I don't think the rest are good enough if we want to be world champs. The bright news is we have an abundance of young talent coming through so hopefully one of them can be the midfield enforcer we need.
Roll on Euros and hopefully Southgate gets the time to push this team ever further with some new talent
After all, the only team we beat in normal time in that tournament was Egypt.
I still don't understand how people communicated before the internet.
Those were the days, relying on landlines and phone boxes and word of mouth. Kids these days don’t know they’re born.......
Yes but what did you do with all your free time while you waited for your carrier pigeons to deliver their messages? Were you just...alone with your thoughts?
Probably socialising with my neighbours, listening to my vinyl records...all the things we don’t do anymore!
Oh, and the ref and that Lino on the far side. What a pair of blind cunts.
Linesman was way off the pace and how many foul throws where there in that game? Might as well just throw it under arm from the line if they are not going to bother with a proper throw in.
My old man god bless him was never a fan of the early goal I could hear him shouting "too early" as Trippier smashed that kick in. Your early game plan does somewhat go out of the window when it happens.
Worried me too, especially the celebrations that were reminiscent of match ending ones.
Comments
Until then, no real interest in football. Following season, Dad took bruv and I to Charlton vs Wolves. Charlton lost, and bruv was cheering Wolves (sibling rivalry!). Since then, we both enjoyed many years watching Wright, Curtis, Kinsey etc; and many of the following acts. Remember Ray Crawford, limbering up at about 2.40, before making his Charlton debut, looking across at us and waving. Gosh, we used to get there so early before a match!
I say to all, take encouragement from Young Englands achievements. At last, English football seems to have shown an open honesty, commitment, and togetherness.
I hope that the governing bodies take note, are aware of the interest, support and enthusiasm that has been created, and start cleansing English football. Time long overdue to rid our game of the extremely disturbed, self interested, greedy egoists that they have judged to be "fit and proper".
Last opportunity for saving our football? Our passion, our memories, our home towns, our heritage.
What do the other "customers" think? A chance for them to become fans again?
"If you ever see a post from WRICURKINCAM walk away and pretend you didn't. Only madness lies ahead. " = Henry Irving.
When you look back at 2002 to 2006 under Sven, the players back then were probably better, but they underachieved. You look at the names, Scholes, Gerrard, Lampard, Beckham, Joe Cole, Ashley Cole, Ferdinand, Campbell, Terry, Owen, Rooney etc
They were the better team tonight so well done to them. Overall they deserved to go to the final.
We had the opportunity to win it but various things stopped us. If we could have put our chances away early on the game could have been comfortable. A bit of fatigue and inexperience came in I think. They came out second half on fire and pinned us back. They doubled up on our wingbacks which gave them an overload in midfield. Our 3 worked hard to cover it but we needed to either change the system to match them or bring on fresh legs in CM much earlier. We couldn't make it happen and so it is.
Now isn't the time for ifs and looking at individual moments. These players have their all and each and every one of them are heros.
Very proud of the boys and Sir Gareth.
Compare the tournament and knock-out experience of Croatia to England. That quality and game management showed.
No disappointment at all, just massively gutted.
First half hour or so was probably the best we've played all tournament and could easily have been 2 or 3 up. Typical case of if you don't take your chances, it more often than not comes back to bite you.
Final word on the standard of officiating. I won't say it's why we went out. Croatia simply were the better team. But the officiating was absolutely shocking.
I could hear him shouting "too early" as Trippier smashed that kick in.
Your early game plan does somewhat go out of the window when it happens.
They were more experienced. We SHOULD have made it.
No hard feelings either way in true reflect. They came back well, we should have killed game off.
Experience v in experience and I'm more than willing to give this team time.
Loved it.
My advice to England as they stand now, is develop these tactics further and try to win every game 3-0, not 1-0. When you take the lead against a side you are on top off, accept they will take risks and respond to that offensively as a chance to get a second, rather than allow it to work!
He engineered a semi final place for a limited squad in many ways.
Some players like Trippier, Maguire and Pickford have had a fantastic tournament.
Henderson, Stones, Kane and Walker had a decent tournament.
Sterling did good runs in the last couple of matches but his lack of goals and assists is a problem.
Lingard scored a great goal but missed at least another 5 chances.
Rashford is still raw.
Ali had a average time and Young's poor left foot is a issue when you play left back.
Jones, Cahill, Welbeck and Vardy's career could be at an end ?
Is Rose the answer at Left back ?
Why did Gareth lose face with Loftus-Cheek ?
Young Trent-Alexander is a talented RB
Delph and Dier I feel the jury is out.
Pope and Buckland will only get in if Pickford Is injured.
"If you ever see a post from WRICURKINCAM walk away and pretend you didn't. Only madness lies ahead. " = Henry Irving.
I've never been more proud of an England team in my lifetime (I'm 22 in a weekish).
This tournament has given me interest in the national side for the first time in years and I feel like we have a core group of players who actually want to give their all for the first time in my generation.
I'm not usually that patriotic but I'm so proud of what we've achieved at this World Cup and was close to tears when we lost. But despite that I feel that we have made great strides in actually being able to be competitive and get to the final of a major competition.
I feel so much pride for this team, almost as much as when we won League 1 with SCP and that says alot,
Anyways onwards and upwards ayyyy until we get knocked in the group stages of Euro 2020 by Lichtenstein!!!!!
BUT, tonight brought some of the same old technical flaws to the surface. There were signs even in the Tunisia game that our passing along the back three could be vulnerable to the press if the passing was not really sharp and accurate. Tonight there were too many sloppy passes that gave Croatia chances and a sense that we were not secure defensively. A sense which proved justified as England twice collectively switched off to allow Croatia to score.
In midfield, we still do not have a true playmaker and players who can reliably retain possession when given the hurry up by the opposition. Colombia exposed it a bit, but not as consistently as Croatia did.
England started well but the tide was turning from midway through the first half and Southgate was too slow to switch up the shape or add fresh legs to a desperately tiring midfield. I think Loftus-Cheek should have been introduced. Sticking Rashford on and just hitting it long was horribly unimaginative and not a befitting plan B for this otherwise we’ll prepared team to finish its run with.
YET, it all could have been so different. England didn’t create a whack load, but there were chances and for Harry Kane of all people.
Gutted but proud would be how I would say I feel right now.
This run has hopefully gone some way to restoring some belief, but it also should not distract from the fact England are still short of some fundamental things needed to win a major tournament. The best of this group are now experienced. Hopefully as the members of our successful U20 and U18 teams break through the best of them can be added to the squad and wthey can attack future tournaments with a deeper, better balanced squad to go with that renewed belief.
Last of all though. At least this World Cup has actually been fun, and at the end of the day that is what supporting a team should be above all else.
I had a long walk alone back to the hotel, and my interest in the world cup has eaporated. I hope we beat Belgium to go one better than Italia '90 as it's abut time we laid that to rest, but I really couldn't care less about the final, and probably won't watch it. I'll not point fingers at any of the squad - we got much further tan I expected and I hope we can build on this. But despite the fact I feel as if I was kicked hard in the gut this morning, it has been a great tournment all round, and also for us. I think @redmidland said earlier he couldn't listen to 'three lions' without a tear in the eye, and I feel the same way. But they did us proud, and we can hold our heads very high after that.
Cross for the first goal should never have been allowed to come into the box, and Young was a good thirty metres out of position - once it did come in, then the ball needs to be attacked, but Walker was day dreaming, and that changed the game.
Second goal stemmed from a wild hack from Walker, and then Stones losing Mandjukic running in behind him - said before that small mistakes will cost you in the WC, and we made critical errors tonight.
With hindsight at around the hour mark, we could have taken off Henderson and Sterling, brought on Dier and Delp, switched to a 4-5-1 formation, and let them try to play round us, with Ali trying to play off Kane.
Can't really begrudge the Craotian's their success, they seem a pretty honest bunch compared to others, and I hope they do well in the final, but from what I have seen France will have too much for them all over the pitch, and a midfield trio of Kante, Pogba and Matuidi, will not be as easily over-run as ours was in the 2nd half tonight.
I'm pretty pissed off at the officials, flagged offisde when we weren't? Throw in not given twice I think, two blatant fouls waved away, ball went out for a corner and not given. If I was the England manager I would want the officials to be looked into, I'm not trying to say they were corrupt but they were certainly incompetent and for a game of that magnitude they shouldn't be allowed to be near the pitch again.
A bit more negatives before the positive. Southgates lack of subs early on? It was clear Kane and Alli were shot, why not swap Kane for Vardy or Alli for RLC, both players good enough to step up and we needed fresh legs. I was also disappointed with Sterling coming off as I thought he was having a good game. I like Walker but if we want to progress we need to take him out of the side and play Trippier as a right back and have actual midfielders, problem is I guess is we really aren't spoilt for choice with midfielders, that said Hendo surprised me this tournament. I'll happily admit I was not his biggest fan but he did his bit, just comes back to the fact he doesn't do much with the ball, he can't get it forwards and with how we play we need someone to take that role. The last main thing that bothered me was the lack of fight and character in that game. First 45 mins we were the better team undeniably, next 75 what happened, no one seemed to want it, I only saw emotion from Pickford, none of the players were trying to gee eachother up, hardly anyone asking for the ball, lack of urgency. Maybe I'm asking too much but I would rather have gone out to a far superior side to eliminate all 'what ifs' than what happened. Croatia were beatable and now it's left question marks imo.
Anyway the positives. Pickford, top top keeper, could be looking at the #1 for ten years or more there, great shot stopper and love his passion. I don't want to go over the top but I think Stones and Maguire with the right coaching could be a world class centre back partnership, no concerns there anymore, Trippier is a top player too. Kane is Kane, he will be the main man for years. After that, I don't wanna sound negative cause I am proud of what they achieved in bringing positivity back to the national side, but I don't think the rest are good enough if we want to be world champs. The bright news is we have an abundance of young talent coming through so hopefully one of them can be the midfield enforcer we need.
Roll on Euros and hopefully Southgate gets the time to push this team ever further with some new talent
We could have been looking forward to the World Cup Final and there is a very good chance I will never see this chance again in my lifetime